Wednesday, February 27, 2008

We have been having revival at church this week. In some ways, the services are old-fashioned, and I've found that strangely familiar and comforting--a throwback to my childhood. Yet God has definitely been there, and continues to speak in new and fresh ways. Here's a thought that I picked up on that is worth contemplating:

Thursday, February 14, 2008

In spite of your recent post, I wrote this for you. For through hard times, and great ones I am there for you...hope this Valentines day was a great one for you. Love Prince Charming, ..:)

The Essence of Love

Early on, when love was young he dreamed of many days to come,With misty eyes, and distant dreams staring into the sun,On the horizon there stood fair maidens,Ships, riches, and far away places,Empty heart, and empty eyes staring into a sun of crimson,Till alas blue eyes took his attentionShe was smart and beautiful, so full of charmCaring, and pure, sincere, his heart sent up an alarmWith misty eyes, he reached for a word though,No word can I find, no word will describe,So love I give it, for it has united my great divide

Love I name this, for it has filled my body and soulAs I searched for days on end to make my heart wholeFor years on end, I was filled with emptinessAs I searched, and searched for my LochnessAs years passed on, and faded awayRavaged by time, forever and a day

Three boys, strong and smart,A young man’s pride so filled his heartThrough Pain and heartache, Thorns and diseaseLove guided him, and kept his heart at ease.Like the sweetest swan’s song,Like Christmas morning, the memory lifelong.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess who spent her days living it up with Prince Charming and three very adorable dwarfs. One winter afternoon, there were errands to be run, so the princess and the first dwarf went out for a while. Besides being devastatingly handsome, Prince Charming was ever helpful. He offered to start dinner for her.

After a short while, the lovely princess and her firstborn dwarf arrived back at the cottage. She was dismayed to find the Prince standing in the garage, looking stricken, and smoke billowing out of the cottage door. In the distance, she could hear the two smaller dwarfs crying. "My goodness!" said the princess. "Whatever is the matter?" The Prince looked at her sadly and replied, "There was a small fire."

Dwarf 1, whose worst fear just happened to be fire, immediately began screaming and running in circles. "Call 911!" he cried. "Daddy set the house on fire! Call 911!" He dashed into the backyard, seemingly in search of his two dwarf brothers.

The smaller dwarfs were there, and once they heard the biggest dwarf's screams, they began to cry loudly. They were frightened and inconsolable. The Princess looked around, bewildered, and went to the cottage kitchen.

The scene there was horrible. The walls were covered with soot. The vent, range top, and backsplash were black. And the floor.....oh, the floor! The floor was spattered with grease, decorated with two large scorched spots, and topped off with the blackest of black, perfectly round circle where a hot pan had been. The pan, which the Princess had just received for a Christmas gift, was laying in the middle of the mess, blackened and scorched.

Prince Charming said softly, "Grease fire. Fried potatoes. The flames were at least four feet high. I couldn't think......."

The Princess, calm and even, said, "Gather the children. Drive them into town and fetch them some dinner." The Prince obeyed without another word.

The Princess changed into the grubby clothes she used to wear when she was a mere maiden and went to work. She scrubbed the floor. She scrubbed the stove. She scrubbed the walls and the vent and the refrigerator and the table. Several hours and many buckets of water later, the room was at least functional again. However, the flooring could not be salvaged.

The Prince returned home and together they put the dwarfs to sleep in their little dwarf beds. The Prince (who somehow seemed not quite so charming) tried to apologize, but the Princess knew he felt terribly about what had happened. He had suffered burns on both of his hands, and knowing he and the dwarfs had been in danger was almost unbearable. She brushed aside his apologies, only insisting that he be banned from the cottage kitchen for all eternity.

The following day, Prince Charming tried to make it right by spending the better part of the afternoon washing the soot off all the walls.

The Princess liked her home to be neat and tidy, and so a grease fire and impending floor replacement greatly upset her sense of order. However, she had promised to live with the Prince happily ever after, 'til death did they part. So she grudgingly forgave him and cooked all meals for the family from that day forward.

Friday, February 1, 2008

One of my fellow preschool teachers keeps a fun blog, and I am accepting her invitation to create my own "wish list." Before you read what I wish for, go over to http://www.pandapalooza.blogspot.com/ and see PandaMom's list.

OK, you're back. Ready?

*I wish that my dog would live forever.*I wish that I was at least semi-athletic and liked to be outdoors.*I wish that my grandparents didn't have to suffer from old age.*I wish I had gotten a different degree.*I wish that gas was not so expensive.*I wish that it was easy for me to be diligent in my daily quiet time.*I wish I could protect my sons from all hurt, worry, and fear.*I wish I were skinny and I could be excited about swimsuit season.*I wish I didn't have cancer.*I wish that my brother didn't have to live in Nashvegas to do what he loves.*I wish that I owned a margarita machine.*I wish I could sleep late without feeling guilty.*I wish I had the eye for fashion that my sister has.*I wish that my husband felt free to do something he loves for his career (although he rocks at his job and works hard at it).*I wish I'd had dancing at my wedding.*I wish I had the talent, confidence, and opportunity to sing with a praise & worship band.*I wish it was OK for me to eat carbohydrates all the time.*I wish there was no such thing as hungry or abused children.*I wish I could turn on my TV and not have to see Hillary Clinton.*I wish I could contribute to the family's income by baking and decorating fabulous cakes.*I wish we could have another baby and it would be a girl.*I wish we had a swimming pool.